Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1887-05-04
A LIFE AT STAKE.
Progress of the Sensational
Mason Murder Trial Now
Before the Court.
Mason on the Stand and a
Score of Other Witnesses
Examined.
Mrs. Mason Testifies To-Day
and the Case Will Probably
be Closed.
District Court.
FOURTEENTH DAY.

FOURTEENTH DAY.
In the case of the Territory Of Mon
tans vs.. Benjamin Mason, witnesses
testified as follows:
A. NJ. Cowgirl. the first witness call.
ed by the prosecution testified substsn.
TALLY to the following: Reside a,
Powderville, Custer county, NJ. t.
know Benjamin Mason; have known
him for about sixteen mounths; / was
also acquainted with James Clark in
his life time; last saw him alive about
two weeks before the 3rd of April,
1857; when / saw him dead; seen
him on the 3rd ofApril, 's7 at 9o'clock
in the morning; l saw his body that
morning on the banks Of Powder
river about half mile from Mr.. Ma
sons house; J. o. Holowell, Thomas
Petty, Charles Ebenhack, William
Hoskins, Fred King, Jacob Yakey,
William Davey and a Mexican by the
name Of Kinte, and myself were there.
The bank Of the river was level where
We found him; II was forty or fifty
feet from the river bank where we
fouLd him; he was shot in the left
temple and the bullet came out on the
right side Of the head; there was q
wound OF some kind on his skull; also
on top Of his head; he had some
scratches ON his hands; the wound on
TOP of his head was probably quarter
OF An inch across by three inches long;
il looked rs though Lullet had scalp
ed il; that was my impression; the
wound In the temple looked rs If had
been made by "A or As cslibre Win
thester; We put the body in Il building
belonging 10 Mason up by his house
the body laid there from Sunday until
Tuesday afternoon, the day OF the cor,
ner's inquest.
Charles Ebenhsck called by the
prosecution testified as follows: Re.
side on Powder river; have lived
there about three year-; know Ben.
jamin Mason; also knew James Glars
in his life time; last saw him alive last
fall; saw him dead.on Sunday morning
the 3rd Of April, 's7 on Powder river
about half mile below Ben Msson'-
house; he was then lying on his back
with blanket over him and hat
over his face; he had q bullet wound
on his left temple and on the righ,
where II came out; the wound wss
about the size OF the small end of my
! finger; observed other marks at the
coroner's inquest; there was cut oi
the top Of his head and his hands wer,
scratched; II looked as though he hst
been fighting; ! noticed no break o
sepsrs tion Of the bone on top Of hi
head.
Thos, Petty testified as follows: Re
side on Powder river; know Ben Ma
son; also knew James Clark In hi
lifetime; last saw him alive at IN!
ranch on Powder river a mile below
Powderville, at 6 o'clock on the morn
ing OF the Srd Of April, 1887; he hac
stayed at my ranch the night before
he lett my house early that morninI
with Ben Mason ana boy by th
name Of :. Prickett, they went to
ward Mr.. Mason's house; about fifteel
or.twenty'miuutes after they.left hear
three shots in the direction in whicI
Masonslived; l thought some one wa
shooting at geese; saw the smoke G
the gun; after Clark left my hous
/ never saw him alive again; sbou
twenty minutes after the shooting
couple OF fellows came after me an,
We went where the body OF Clark lay
the body was about fifteen feet fror
the bank Of the river; the body wa
fifty or sixty yards from the timber
the body was then laying on its back
dead; there was marks on his hand
and wound on the top Of his head
] went up TO Mason's; we had a litti
conversation together; Mason said u
me he didn't intend TO do IL; tolt
him II looked like II; he said he would
go after the coroner, or something
like that.
II. ;. Prickett testified rs follows
Reside on powder river; know BenJa
min Mason; have known James CLARK
six months; I saw the dead nody o
Clark on the 3rd Of April, 1857, neaI
Mr.. Mason's house; | saw him sliy'
there also; Ben Mason killed him will
a gun, a 4.Winchester; Mr.. MssoI